The Wolf and the Rose A Paul Imprint Story
by Simmy58
Summary: When Rose O'Connell moves from the nations capital to rainy Fork,WA, she never expected to meet the love of her life, or that he would be a werewolf!PaulxOC. I do not own Twilight or any of its associates.
1. Chapter 1 Moving In

**Author's note- Thank you for taking the time to read my story! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1- Moving In**

I had arrived. I, Rose O'Connell, had officially arrived in Forks, Washington. I grinned to myself, _this is going to be fun._ To start off my fun, I ran back to the packed car containing my Mom, Dad, older sister Serena, and dog Toby. I yanked open Serena's door, pulling her pillow out from under her sleeping head

"We're here!" I yelled, startling my sister Serena awake.

"Shut up Rose" she grumbled, throwing the pillow she had brought with her at my head. I caught it, laughing, and tossed it back at her. "Let's go lazy bones! We got to go see the house!" I looked towards our house, and sighed. It was a nice house, really, two stories and an attic, with a porch out front, just like Mom had always wanted. There was a nice-sized yard for Toby to play in, or "guard" as we called it. As much as we liked to think of Toby as the family dog, she really belonged to Serena, and had been rather sad this past year with her away at college. _And with Serena transferring to the University of Washington in Seattle, Toby will be even more lonely. _I thought to myself idly while I stood in front of our new house facing the car, arms crossed on my chest, foot tapping, waiting for my sister to finally fold her almost 6 foot frame out of the car. Honestly, Serena was a giant. She played basketball and softball in high school, and continued to play basketball in college. At last she got out of the car rather stiffly, stretching her long arms skyward.

"I'm here, I'm here I promise" she said softly. That's how it was with the two of us, polar opposites. Serena was quiet and reserved, while I was outgoing and loud. She was the intellectual in the family, the scientist, while I was the impulsive one, the artist. I loved singing, and writing songs, and drawing. The only art my sister could say she was good at was graffiti, her one rebellious attribute hidden under her angel wings, while I was always the "rebel child". While I was never outwardly defiant of my parents, I didn't exactly conform to society. Sure, I liked fashion, but my attitude and personality were just not "normal". My mother likes to say that I am a young spirit, while Serena is an old soul. I think that is a fairly accurate description of the two of us. We don't even look that alike, really. My hair is dark blonde ringlets, while Serena's is deep russet waves. The only similarity between the two of us is our facial structures. We both have prominent cheekbones, and fairly small noses, with a pair of full lips and perfect eyebrows finishing it up. We even have different colored. My sister's eyes are a bright emerald green, while mine are a pale blue-gray.

"Alright gang, let's move in to the house!" My mom yelled enthusiastically, and we all made a mad dash for the house, carrying boxes and suitcases full of stuff that the moving truck hadn't taken. I ran up the stairs, past my parent's and sister's room, and burst through the door in my room. I stopped, and took in the sight. Pale sky-blue walls, birch floors, and a white sealing made me think I was at the beach, not rainy Forks, Washington, though I heard there was a beach over by the Quileute reservation, La Push, where Mom would be working. See, Mom was a historian, specializing in Native American culture, so she was over the moon when she heard about the location of Dad's new job at the Forks hospital. Dad was hired to be the new head surgeon at the hospital. I was shaken from my reverie by the sound of my sister dropping a box of stuff on her foot.

"Shit!" I heard her curse loudly, and I chuckled quietly, hoping Serena wouldn't hear.

"Shut up Rose!" I heard her yell through the wall, but that only amused me further, causing me to collapse on my floor, rolling around, grasping my sides. "I swear to God Rose if you don't shut the FUCK up I am going to go in there and KILL YOU!" That sure shut me up. It didn't happen often, but when Serena got pissed, the cause of that anger was sure to suffer. As my laughs subsided into muted giggles, I walked around my room, putting the final touches on decorations. A Linkin Park poster on one wall, a poster containing a picture of a beautiful Epson guitar against a background of music notes against another, and, the final touch, a panorama photo of Miami Beach that I had taken on our last family vacation went over the headboard of my bed in the far corner of my room. Satisfied, I left my room, and ran down the stairs to go see if Mom needed any help.

"No, no I'm fine. Why don't you go walk around the town, get a feel for it?" She suggested, knowing I was never one for lounging around the house doing nothing.

"Great idea Mom!" I said happily and promptly bounded out of the house, grapping a light grey hoodie and slipping on some flip-flops on the way out. That was the great part about Forks. The place was so small, you only needed to walk for a few minutes and you were in town. There didn't seem to be much to do, there was a pizza joint, a bar, a diner, a small movie theater, and a couple of other shops. Up ahead I saw Forks High, the school I would be attending come fall, for my junior year. While I walked along the sidewalk, I heard a sound I never thought I would hear in tiny Forks. I heard the smooth purr of pure German engineering. _Ahh, the sound of a Mercedes_ I thought happily to myself. I was a bit of a motor-head, I will admit. Serena was too, but only for the mechanical part of it. She was such a scientist sometimes. I looked at the road for the source of the sound, and my jaw dropped when I saw the source. I mean, I was expecting a nice car, but a _Guardian_?! It was unbelievable! I stopped in my tracks and stared at the beauty driving down the road.

"Yeah, it's a nice car. You should see the girl that drives it" a voice to my left said. I spun, looking for the voice, and smacked right into a bare chest. I jumped back,

"I'm so sorry!"I said, tilting my head up to see the face of the guy I had run into. He had the straight black hair and copper skin of a Native American, so I assumed he was a Quileute from La Push. He laughed, flashing bright teeth.

"It's cool, don't worry about it" he said good-naturedly, running his hand through his spiky, somewhat uneven hair "I don't believe I've seen you around, are you new?" he asked me. I nodded

"Yeah, the name's Rose, Rose O'Connell. I just moved here from D.C. And you are?" I asked in return.

"Jacob, Jacob Black. Nice to meet you Rose O'Connell." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Wait, is your dad Bill O'Connell, the new surgeon down at Forks Hospital?" he inquired.

"Yep, that's him" I answered, "And my mom is Robin O'Connell, the historian who is going to be working with your Elders to write down the history of the Quileute" I informed him, swelling a little with pride when I saw the impressed expression in his face.

"That's awesome!" he exclaimed. We began walking down the street, talking about how I was liking Forks so far, about his family down in La Push. We finally reached my house, he asked me if I would like to come down to La Push tonight, there was going to be a bonfire, and a lot of the other teenagers from La Push were going to be there.

"Sure" I answered, a smile alighting my face. Little did I know that that simple bonfire would change my life forever.

**A/N: OK you read it, now review! Constructive criticism is appreciated!!**


	2. Chapter 2 Introduction

**A/N: So here is the next installment in the story! Thank you for the reviews! I never imagined getting so many hits the first day of it being up. And a special thank you to Sleepyheather for their constructive review! I split up the paragraphs a little more this time, hope its easier to read! OK, well, enjoy!**

**Chapter 2- Introduction**

As I sat in the passenger's seat of Jacob's Rabbit, we chatted about life on the "res" as he called it, along with a little more car talk, and listened to the radio. We parked at the edge of the beach, and made our way over to the circle of teenagers, some lounging on logs, others setting up the bonfire for later, when it was dark. As we approached the group, Jacob cleared his throat,

"Hey guys, this is Rose, she's new to town, so be gentle" he said, a grin on his face.

"Hi everyone" I said, waving, a big smile alighting my features. I noticed they were all huge, and none of the guys were wearing shirts. I thought it was odd, but it was summer, so I shrugged it off.

"So Rose, this is Quil, Claire, Embry, Kim, Seth, Leah, and Paul" Jacob said. I politely smiled at each person, looking at their faces intently so wouldn't mess up their names later. When I reached Paul though, I froze as soon as I looked in his eyes. It was like the world was melting away, leaving only him. I shook my head in confusion, but my gaze inexplicably turned back to his chocolate eyes. I noticed shock, confusion, then recognition, and then, was it, _love _in his fierce gaze? At once his gaze turned protective, and almost, angry. The others stared at us, recognition dawning on their faces.

"Hi, Paul" I said, heat rushing to my face. _Why am I blushing?_ I asked myself. _I've never let a boy make me blush before. Well, he's not really a boy is he?_ Paul looked like he could pass for twenty-one easily, but there was a youthfulness in his eyes, his beautiful, deep brown eyes that led me to believe he was only eighteen or so. I broke his gaze, looking at the ground bashfully, which was very unlike me. I quickly walked over to the nearest log, and sat down, my gaze never leaving the ground. I immediately felt a warm, scratch that, _hot_ presence on my left. It was Paul, sitting next to me, staring at me as if I was the only thing in the world that mattered. The funny thing was, that was exactly how I felt. All I could think about was Paul, how I wanted to stay at his side forever. My gaze shifted slightly down, and I noticed his perfect, full lips. Lips that you just wanted to kiss forever. Wait, what was I thinking? I had just met the guy. This was ridiculous. I immediately got up and walked over to where Jacob, Quil, and Embry were starting a game of ultimate Frisbee by firelight, and joined them, trying to shake off all thoughts of the beautiful boy I had just met.

I spent the rest of the night avoiding Paul, and I noticed he just kind of stared at me, sitting on the log by himself. At one point, when Jacob had thought it funny to pick up my 5 foot 7 frame and toss me over his shoulder like a fireman, Paul jumped up, shaking furiously like he was having a seizure or something. He then ran off into the woods by himself, which was strange to begin with, but got stranger when the rest of the group acted like nothing had happened. When I asked Jake about Paul, he just shrugged.

"He has some anger issues, he goes running in the woods to blow off steam when he gets pissed about something. If he's not back in ten minutes someone will go check on him." He then turned back to Seth, who had joined our little Frisbee circle, and flicked the disc to him with a short wrist movement. I wasn't satisfied with Jake's answer, but I decided I would need to ask Paul myself. This made me slightly uncomfortable, seeing as I had been avoiding him all night. It wasn't that I wasn't attracted to him, quite the opposite. It was the immense amount of attraction, along with several other very strong emotions and urges that I felt when I was around him that kept me away. Its not like I've never had a boyfriend before, I've certainly had my fair share, but I had never felt this way about a boy before. I felt like if I didn't have Paul in my life, I would die without him. Needless to say, this scared me shitless. Once I saw the expression on Paul's face once he returned from his little run, however, I knew I had to talk to him. His gaze burned with such intensity, I knew it was because of me that he had gotten so angry, even though I didn't have a clue as to why. As soon as he sat back down on his log, I abandoned the game of Frisbee and cautiously walked over to him.

"What did I do?" I asked him quietly, standing in front of him, a slightly hurt expression crossing my features. The expression on his face went from surprised, to angry again, to astonished. He leapt up, pulling me into his warm embrace.

"No Rose, I could never be mad at you, it was Jake, he was holding you, touching you…" I could feel his body start to shake, and I immediately stepped back, and slapped him across the face.

"How dare you get mad at Jacob!" I exclaimed softly, not wanting to alert the others to what was going on. "He has been nothing but civil to me the entire night" Maintaining a serious tone was incredibly difficult when all I really wanted to do was jump back into his warm arms and stay there. Paul calmed down, and with a sheepish smile asked me if I would like to go for a walk in the woods with him. I stopped in mid-thought, completely caught off guard by his sudden calmness. I couldn't muster anything to say in reply, so I simply took the hand he offered and followed him into the forest.

**A/N: Ok now you've read it, click the little button that says review! If you don't give me constructive criticism I'll never get better will I?**


	3. Chapter 3 Confessions of a Werewolf

**A/N: OK so here we are, the third chapter! Thank you so much to those of you who have read this story, and added it to your alerts, and reviewed, it makes me so happy to see people actually reading this story. Oh, and to answer some people's questions about Rose slapping Paul, it gets explained in this chapter so don't worry. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3- Confessions of a Werewolf**

While we were walking in the woods together I discovered many things about Paul. He was 18 like I thought, and a senior at La Push high. I was sad that we wouldn't be going to school together, but my house was pretty close to the res, so it wouldn't be difficult to see him after school. It was nice, walking calmly, and I was much more relaxed, and grateful that Paul seemed to be keeping his anger in check. My hand was still sore from the light slap I had given him earlier. Honestly, hitting Paul had been like hitting a brick wall. A _warm _brick wall. Holding hands with him, I could feel how hot his body was.

"Why are you so hot?" I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the calm that had surrounded us. Our conversation had lapsed a few minutes earlier, and we had just been walking on the faint path that wound through the woods. Paul's head whipped up at my question, a smirk alighting his handsome face.

"Well, I would have to give credit to my genetics, I come from a long line of attractive men." He said, the hint of a joke creeping into grin. When he saw that that wasn't the answer I was looking for, the smirk dropped from his lips, leaving a slightly bashful smile. "My body just runs hotter than most people, actually, a lot of us are like that. Quileutes, I mean. "His apparent embarrassment at his body temperature gave me the impression that I needed to change the mood, and I really wasn't sure how. I looked into his deep chocolate eyes, and realized with a start that he was looking into mine as well. I really am not sure what came over me, but the next thing I remember I was kissing him softly, my arms wrapped around his neck, his around my waist. He was so tall, I had to stand on my tip-toes while he leaned down in order to actually reach his lips. Oh, his lips. They were so soft, yet firm, and warm. I just wanted to kiss Paul forever. Once our lips made contact, it was like the rest of the world melted away, leaving the two of us. I could feel the electricity passing between us. It was the most amazing kiss I had ever had in my life. Paul gently broke off the kiss, and I whimpered slightly at the loss of contact. Paul chuckled softly, and said in a gentle voice,

"It's late, I should get you home". I nodded glumly in agreement, and as we turned to walk back to the bonfire to say our goodnights, I whispered "I don't ever want to be away from you though", with the full intention of him not hearing me, and thinking I was some crazy chick who became obsessed with the object of her affection. However, as we neared the beach, he leaned down, brushing his lips against my ear, and whispered softly "I know, and neither do I", before he placed a soft kiss on my temple, and then straightened as we reached the beach. The only people still there were Embry and Seth, who were wrestling in the sand, and a young Quileute woman I had never seen before. She was beautiful, with silky black hair and soft, friendly features, and was watching the two boys wrestle with a look of motherly affection on her face. As she turned her head to look at us, I saw them. The thick, angry pink scars that ran from her scalp to somewhere below the collar of her blouse.

"Don't stare" Paul whispered in my ear. He then dropped my hand, and loped over to the woman, scooping her up in a friendly bear hug. As he gently put her down, he ran back to me, and grabbed my hand, dragging me over to her. "Emily, I would like you to meet Rose, she's new in town. Rose, this is Emily, Sam's fiancée"While on our walk, Paul had told me about some of the other people on the reservation, Sam included.

"Well it's wonderful to meet friends of Paul's, I hope you like Forks" Emily said pleasantly, then bade us goodnight and left in search of her fiancée. Since I had gotten a ride here from Jake, and he was nowhere to be found, Paul gave me a ride. As we approached his silver 2001 Ford F150 pickup, he stopped me suddenly, a slightly anxious look on his face.

"I will get to see you again, right?" He said, looking me straight in the eyes. It caught me off guard, and it took me a moment to process what he was saying. My silence only deepened the worried look on his face. As I realized what he was saying, I quickly closed the few feet between us, and went into his arms, ignoring the pain in my bruised hand as I grasped tightly onto his bare back.

"Of course silly" I said, my face pressed against his warm chest. "School doesn't start for another three weeks, we'll have plenty of time to hang out, get to know each other more"

"Sounds good" He said, a twinkle of happiness in his warm eyes "Because I want to know everything about you". And with that he picked me up bridal-style, placing me gently in the passenger's seat of the pickup. He then jogged around the front of the car to the driver's side, and hopped inside, turning the engine on swiftly. While the truck had a few years under its engine, it still sounded like a brand-new truck. That just made me love Paul even more. The boy knew how to take care of a car, and I found that incredibly attractive, being the motor head that I am.

The car ride back to my house went smoothly enough, until we passed the stretch of wilderness that was about a quarter-mile down the road from home. At that point Paul pulled over suddenly, his hands quaking for some strange reason. I had noticed he shook when he got angry, but I could find no reason for him to be angry.

"Paul?"I asked quietly, worried about the consequences if I spoke too loudly or suddenly.

"Rose, there's something I need to tell you about me, about my people" he said just as softly, his hands still shaking slightly, "See, us, the Quileutes, we have this legend" he looked at me briefly, and nodded for him to continue, "and the legend says that long ago, the 'cold ones' come to our lands, and they started attacking my people, draining them of their blood, killing them" he continued his tail of the Quileute wolf warriors combating these 'cold ones', and how for generations the Quileutes lived in peace, and didn't have these part-animal, part-man protectors, but a few years ago, the 'cold ones' returned, and even though these were 'vegetarian' vampires, feeding on animals instead of humans, the abilities of the wolf-warriors returned, and almost the entire generation of young adults in La Push became the protectors of the reservation, including Sam, Jacob, Embry, Quil, Seth, Leah, Jared, and Paul. According to Paul, Sam was the Alpha of the pack, and Jacob was sort of his Beta. When he finished telling me this, he looked at me, worried about my reaction. I was so shocked by his story that I just stood there, silently trying to sort this all out.

"So, you're a werewolf" I said shakily, not believing the words leaving my mouth.

"Yes, I'm a werewolf" Paul said softly, the worried expression never leaving his gorgeous face for a moment.

"So are you like super-strong, and fast and everything in your human form as well as your wolf form?" I asked. At my question his worried expression deepened, if that was at all possible. There was a deep furrow carved into his otherwise smooth forehead, and he ran a hand nervously through his close-cropped black hair

"Yes" He answered, "While all my abilities are more enhanced when I'm in wolf form, I'm still faster, stronger, tougher than any normal human, and I heal faster too". He said this with a note of embarrassment in his voice, as if he wished it weren't true, that he were just a normal human. An idea jumped into my head.

"Will you show me?" I looked him in the eyes, hoping that he could notice that even though I wasn't entirely sure what to think about the whole situation yet. At this his hands, which had only recently stopped shaking, started shaking all over again.

"Rose! Why would you ask me to do that?! What if I hurt you? I would never forgive myself. I can't put you in danger Rose, you're too special to get hurt." He started pacing back and forth in front of me, occasionally looking at me, panic marring his features.

"OK, OK you don't have to show me your wolf form, don't worry. But can you show me your abilities in you human form? Like how you're super-fast and super-strong?" A small grin curved my mouth at his little outburst about my safety. Honestly, from what he had told me, I was safer with him in his wolf form than not. I mean, he has this amazing power so that he can protect people, right? I decided that I would persuade him to show me his wolf form later, when I had the time to argue with him. But it really was getting late, and I didn't want to push him right now. Paul got a slightly exasperated look, but it quickly turned indulgent when he saw the hopefulness in my face. He sighed,

"Come here" He said, holding his arms out for me. I quickly walked the few feet separating us, and, instead of jumping into his arms like he was expecting, stood on my toes and kissed him gently. He stiffened for a moment in shock, and then softened into it, leaning down for better access to my lips. It was quite possibly the sweetest kiss I had ever experienced. All of a sudden Paul separated the kiss, lifting me into his arms, and swinging me around so that I was clinging to his bare back. I quickly wrapped my legs around his waist, and my arms around his neck.

"You ready?" He asked me, craning his head back to see me

"Oh, yeah!" I said "Andale Andale!" With that, Paul took off, running through the woods towards my house faster than any Olympic runner, even that Jamaican guy who was crowned the fastest man in the world in last spring's Beijing Olympics. Within seconds we had traversed the quarter mile to my house. Paul gently placed me on the ground, and walked me to my door.

"That was amazing!" I said enthusiastically, throwing my arms around his neck.

"I'm glad you had fun" He said, no longer looking ashamed or nervous or angry, just happy because I was happy.

"Good night! See you tomorrow!" I said, standing on my toes to give him a quick kiss on the lips, then turned around and disappeared into the house.

**A/N: So there we go! If I messed anything about the Quileute legend, just send me a review and I promise I will fix it. Its been a while since I read the first Twilight book, so I'm a little shady on some of the details. I really am trying to make this as accurate as possible, I promise! Now hit the little review button 3 **

**P.S. Oh and the Jamaican guy I mentioned is who the story says he is, his name is Usain Bolt, he's super cool. I watched him win the 100meter or whatever and it was AMAZING. **


	4. Chapter 4 Wait, What About Imprinting?

**A/N Hey everybody! So if you read the last chapter you may have noticed that Paul left out one tiny, little detail, imprinting! So here, in a much longer chapter than usual, is how I got around to telling that bit of the story. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4- Wait, He Hasn't Told Her Everything. What About that Imprinting Stuff?**

The next morning, as I walked down the stairs to the kitchen, still dressed in my pajamas, I noticed quite a sight at my kitchen table. Sitting down next to my sister, wolfing down a stack of pancakes the size of his large head, was Paul. Serena looked at him with that cold scientist's stare that told me she was analyzing every aspect of Paul that she could possibly see, from his lack of shirt or shoes to the speed with which he ate, to the look of total adoration he had when he saw me come in. As soon as he had noticed my arrival, he had abandoned his pancakes, and stood, walking over to me. He lifted me into his arms, giving me a warm hug and a quick kiss on my temple. I kissed him on the cheek, smiling at the warmth that had enveloped me as soon as I had entered the safety of Paul's arms. At this sudden display of affection Serena's analytical face turned genuinely surprised. She had probably thought Paul was just a friend, since it was only our second day in Forks. She couldn't have possibly realized that in the 24 hours we had been here, I had possibly found the love of my life. Wait, what? Where did that come from? I mean sure, I really liked Paul a lot, but love? I only met him last night, for Christ's sake! Not that Jesus could help me right now, but it didn't hurt to try. Coming from a religious Irish Catholic family, there was any number of superstitions I could invoke right now to try and help the situation of my sister meeting my boyfriend who I had only met yesterday. At the moment, however, knocking on wood or throwing some salt over my shoulder didn't seem too helpful. Paul gently set me down on the floor, and I looked sheepishly back at my older sister, whose eyebrows were knotted together, which usually meant she was thinking of a million different things really fast, and that usually included ways to tell Mom and Dad that I had done something wrong, or ways to make me feel either really guilty or really dumb. Sometimes it sucks having a smart older sibling. I patiently waited for Serena to finish thinking, leaning slightly against Paul for support.

"So" Serena said quietly. That made me feel a little better. Serena only got loud when she was really pissed, so her quiet tone must mean she was more surprised than upset. "You and Paul are what? I mean, you two must have only met yesterday, probably at that bonfire. So you have only known each other for around sixteen hours. Is that long enough to know how you two feel about each other?"

I paused, thinking carefully of my response.

"Yes, we met last night, at the bonfire. We spent pretty much the entire night talking, and he gave me a ride home, and that's it. I really like him Serena, but I know it's too early to tell the depth of what's going on. We're just taking it a day at a time, Serena, don't worry." I said, trying to keep my tone simple. Serena thought best when emotion was not involved and rational arguments were presented. I hoped to God I hadn't said anything that made Paul question my feelings for him or for him to twist into something that would anger him. My sister nodded slowly, the wrinkle in her forehead smoothing.

"Ok then, now that that's settled, I promised Mom I would go to the grocery store since both Mom and Dad are really busy at their new jobs. I'll be back in about an hour ok? If you decide to leave, just give me a call before you go." Serena smiled widely, grabbing her keys off of the kitchen counter. "Later!" She called back as she went out the front door to her car. I sighed softly, wishing I had a car. I had gotten my license right before we had moved, and being only 16, my parents decided I wasn't ready for that responsibility. Never mind that Serena had gotten her car, a forest green hybrid Saturn Vue, her baby, her pride and joy, at 16. But that's because Serena was the responsible one, the one who could be trusted with something like a car. Thank God she was nice, and gives me rides all the time.

"So, did you have anything in mind for today?" Paul asked me, bringing me out of my jealous reverie. I shrugged, smiling at him

"As long as it involves you, I'm good" I said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.

"Well then" He said, grinning, "How about we head over to Sam and Emily's? Everyone is probably over there anyways. And there will be food. Lots of food." At that last statement he licked his lips happily, as if he could already taste the food.

"Is that all you werewolves think about? Killing vamps, and food?" I asked jokingly, raising an eyebrow sarcastically. Paul burst out laughing at this, holding his sides as he wheezed.

"Yeah pretty much, but I'm different!" He said indignantly. "I think of food, bloodsuckers, AND you!" he pointed at me "So there!"

"Fine, the modern werewolf is a complex being with thoughts besides food and vampires. The werewolf of today also thinks about the girl he happens to spend a lot of time kissing" and with that, I scampered out of the house, running towards Paul's truck. Of course, I forgot about his inhuman speed, and before I reached the truck Paul had already caught up to me, grasping me around the waist and lifting me up into his arms without breaking his stride, while I screamed with astonishment and thrashed around in his arms.

"No way are you getting away with that Rose O'Connell!" He yelled happily, stopping when he reached the truck. "Now" he said, flipping me around and pinning me against the passenger door. I was breathing heavily from laughter, my wrists captured by Paul's strong grip. I winced inwardly at the twinge of pain that came from my still-bruised hand, the one I had slapped Paul with last night.

"Now, what?" I asked innocently, my voice dripping with sweetness, as I looked him in the eye, a goofy grin plastered on my face "Is the big, bad wolf going to punish little ole me?"

"Oh, you are definitely getting punished, little lady" Paul said, a wicked grin adorning his features. And with that he bent down, crashing his lips against mine, pressing his warm, shirtless chest against mine, and keeping me pinned against the truck door. Not that I minded in the least. I wrapped my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Then, all of a sudden he broke the kiss and ran around to the driver's side of the car, jumping into the seat and starting the engine all in one fluid motion.

"Now" he yelled to me over the roar of the engine "Let's go get some grub!"

"You are so mean" I grumbled as I climbed into the cab of the pickup, folding my arms over my chest after fastening my seatbelt. Paul leaned over, his lips hovering at my ear

"Don't worry, I'm not done with your punishment quite yet" he breathed, placing a small kiss in the sensitive skin behind my ear. I shivered, and it was definitely not because of the weather. It was sunny, for once, and warm. _This sure is going to be an interesting summer_ I thought to myself, smiling inwardly as we drove off to La Push, where a house full of werewolves awaited.

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The rest of the week flew by, and before I knew it, it was Saturday. Paul had told me earlier the week that he wanted to take me on a "real" date, and we had decided on Saturday at 7. I paced my room, full of nervous energy about tonight. Paul had told me that the events of the date were a surprise, so I had no idea what to wear. I finally decided on a loose, mid-length turquoise skirt that fell to just below my knees, and a white long-sleeved shirt with a plunging neckline layered over a matching turquoise tank top. I let my hair cascade in soft waves down my back, and some simple turquoise studs in my ears, along with a little vanilla perfume, finished off the outfit. I checked the time on my alarm clack nervously. It only read 6:30PM in big red numbers, so I sat at my desk and browsed the internet for a while, waiting for my date to arrive. While I was checking my email, I let my thoughts wander to the rest of the pack. It was weird, it seemed like most of them were in a serious relationship. I mean, there was Sam and Emily, Jared and Kim, Jacob seemed to be in love with some Bella chick who I didn't know, and Quil was always with little Claire. You would think a bunch of werewolves wouldn't be able to just find love like that. I mean, I know I'm fine with Paul being a werewolf, but I like to think of myself as a particularly open-minded person. I decided I would simply ask Paul on our date tonight, and went back to my Web browsing. Just when I was finishing making sure my Facebook page was up to date, I heard the doorbell ring.

"I got it I got it!" I yelled excitedly, leaping down the stairs, not caring if I tore my dress or messed up my hair. I wanted to see Paul. Unfortunately, I was too late, my mom had beaten me to the door, and by the time I reached the door, Mom was already talking to him. She had on her analytical mom face, the one all mothers have when they meet a guy their teenage daughter is dating, trying to determine if he is worthy of her daughter's affection. Thank God Mom met Paul when we were going on a real date, and he was wearing a shirt. He looked very nice, in a clean, ironed light-blue and white striped polo, and nice jeans, no holes or rips that I could see. Of course, in my opinion Paul looked good in anything, even his dirty cut-off jeans that he usually wore.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Paul, have fun, and make sure she's home before midnight." My mom said, smiling. I breathed a sigh of relief. Mom only really smiles at people she likes, and when she smiles at someone she doesn't like, its very obvious. And this smile was the good smile.

"It was very nice meeting you too, Mrs. O'Connell" Paul replied, flashing his brilliant smile, his teeth bright white against his russet skin. He turned to me, and his eyes widened when he took in my outfit.

"Wow Rose, you look great" He said, leaning down and giving me a kiss on the cheek. I frowned for a moment, but then remembered that he was being polite, not kissing me on the lips, because my mom was still standing in the hall.

"Thanks, you too" I replied, turning to my mom, "Bye Mom! See you later!" and grabbing Paul's hand, left the house. I maintained my composure until we reached the truck, but once we were there, I threw my arms around Paul, kissing him deeply. He kissed me back, and I knew it had taken him as much restraint as it had taken me to make it all the way to the car without kissing me.

"Now that's the type of kiss I expect when you take me on a date" I grinned once we separated, sounding a little out of breath. "Now, shall we get going?"

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Later that night, as we strolled down Lombard Avenue in Forks, eating ice cream and holding hands, doing normal couple stuff, I casually asked Paul

"So is there like some rule that werewolves have to fall in love?" I felt Paul stiffen next to me, "I mean, its just there's Sam and Emily, Jared and Kim, Jacob and that Bella girl, even like Quil and Claire. They're all in love, it's kind of weird. And the people they're in love with all don't seem to care about the whole werewolf thing, even though I know a lot of people would be really freaked out by it, unlike me" I paused, gauging his reaction. A look of acceptance came over his face, and he sighed heavily.

"I was going to wait to tell you, but I guess I have to tell you now" he said calmly, a soft smile crossing his mouth "See, there's one part of the Quileute legend I left out. In addition to the power of being a wolf-warrior, we received a gift. In a few rare cases, at least back then, if a werewolf met it's true match, it's one love, he would feel an inexorable pull towards his love, and he wouldn't be able to ignore it. It would be as if the entire earth fell away, leaving this one person, and he can't imagine a world without her. We call it 'imprinting', and it works both ways. The imprinted feels the same way the imprinter does. Of course, this only happened on rare occasions, but I guess since this pack is so big, there's a much larger concentration of occurrences." He looked at me shyly, waiting for me to reply.

"So, its pretty much so that when a guy meets his true love, he doesn't be a bullheaded boy about it, and knows he loves her right off the bat and can't ignore it? Sounds pretty smart to me" I grinned up at him.

"Don't you get it Rose? When I told you about the way a wolf feels when he imprints, I was describing what I felt when I met you. Rose O'Connell, I imprinted on you! I love you, and I will always love you. You are my present, and my future, I can't live without you! Don't you understand?" he was yelling now, shaking for the first time in days with that uncontrollable rage. I knew that it came from his fear, his fear that I didn't love him just as much as he loved me. And I knew, deep inside, that I was his imprint, his one and only, his true love, and he was mine.

"Of course, dummy, I know that. I love you too!" I said, laughing as he swept me up into his arms, kissing me fiercely before crushing me to his chest in a hug. I nuzzled my face into his neck, wrapping my long legs around his waist, while he began walking to the car.

"I should get you home, it's going to be midnight soon" he murmured. I hummed in agreement, not letting go of my vice-grip on his waist.

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Later that night, as I lay on my bed, on top of the covers, dressed simply in a pair of my sister's old basketball shorts and a tank top, I thought about the whole imprinting thing. It was strange, really, but I believed every word of it. I was definitely Paul's imprint. I couldn't imagine a world without him, and I had only known him for a few days. This was quite different from my previous relationships, which had really only been me toying with boys for amusement. I had felt very little for the boys I had dated back in D.C., while right now I felt very strongly for Paul. I was a little worried though. I had seen how bad Paul's temper could be, and while I was very good at dealing with my cantankerous older sister, I wasn't sure how I would handle an eighteen-year-old werewolf if he got too angry. Seth had told me about the scars on Emily's face, and I didn't want that happening to me. It was at this point in my thinking that a light tapping sound emitted from my window. I sat up, surprised, and looked over to see none other than Paul looking from the other side of the glass. I leapt up, and opened my window, letting him in. He silently entered my room, a slight smile creeping into his mouth.

"Paul, what are you doing here?" I asked quietly. His smile immediately changed to a frown, a deep wrinkle appearing in his forehead.

"I knew it! I shouldn't have come! I'm really sorry Rose, I was being so stupid to think you would want to see me again after tonight, I can't believe I'm such an idiot!" His hands started shaking violently, and I immediately grasped his arm

"No Paul, it's not that!" I whispered quickly "I just didn't expect you, its fine! Really, I'm happy you came". The contact and my words seemed to calm him down.

"I'm sorry Rose, it's just sometimes…my temper… it gets the better of me. I really need to start controlling it now that, you know"

"Now that I love you?" I asked, rather forwardly.

"You…you love me?" Paul asked incredulously, and his eyes lit up, and his mouth pulled back into the biggest, most pure smile I had ever seen on a man's face.

"Of course silly, I already told you, I'm your imprint, how could I not?" I said, and before I knew it his lips were on mine, my hands twisted in his hair, his hands on my back, lifting me up for better access to my lips. He walked backwards until he hit the edge of my bed, and we fell backwards, breaking apart for a moment. After only a moment though, I was on top of him, our lips together. It was the most amazing kiss I had ever had, if that was at all possible, compared to our other kisses. I could feel the world fall away as I melted into his arms. My tongue slipped out from my lips, licking his bottom lip gently, asking for entrance. He happily complied, and when our tongues touched, it was like an electric current ran through my body. All I wanted was to feel this, this happiness, this feeling of being whole, a single unit of love. I couldn't deny it. I was madly in love with Paul, and there was nothing either of us could do about it.

**Soooo what did yall think? Review, please! I enjoy them. Oh, and I have a quick little question. Should I include Serena, Rose's big sis, a little more in the story? I want to, but that is only for my own selfish reasons XD (Serena is based off of yours truly, while Rose is based off of my little sister, whose middle name is actually Rose). So tell me what you think! Maybe Serena will get a little lovin' of her own? Lol be honest, please. OK, now review! I can't get better without constructive criticism! OK now off to bed for me, I have class tomorrow. **


	5. AUTHOR'R NOTE I know I hate these too

OK, I hate these as much as the next person, but my not-so-trusty laptop has temporarily died, and I can't fix it until I go back to college, seeing as I'm on winter break right now. And because I'm an idiot and don't keep my important documents on my flash drive. I have no way of finishing up the current chapter. I also haven't really been writing a lot anyways, I think my muse is on vacation as well. Hopefully I will have my computer fixed by the end of the month, and will have the next chapter up. If it is any consolation, it's a nice, long chapter. Thank you for sticking with the story!

Simmy


	6. Chapter 5 What's Serena Been Up To?

A/N: So here we go! I have finally been bit by my muse bug, and here is another installment of my story! In this chapter, we get a glimpse into the complicated mind of Rose's older sister, Serena! Just in case y'all are confused as to her age or whatever, she is 19, about to start her sophomore year of college at the University of Seattle, though she spent her freshman year at American University back in D.C. (Fun fact: I almost went to American!) Enjoy!

**Chapter 5- What's Serena Been Up to?**

As the meek sunlight filtered in to my room, I sat up in my large bed, yawning and stretching my arms into the air. I usually liked to sleep in, but this morning I felt like being especially productive, and wanted to review my internship applications for the fall one last time before sending them in. It was required of my major, Chemistry, that I get an internship at some point before I graduate, and I figured I would get a head start on it now, so that I could have an advantage over my other classmates over at the University of Seattle. Granted, U of S didn't really have the best chemistry program, they were a little more focused on liberal arts, like psychology and English, as well as the arts, which was more my little sister's scene than mine. Oh, Rose. She was so talented, and she knew it, but she didn't have the drive, the ambition that was necessary for a person to truly succeed in life. She was like a little puppy walking around a park, no real intention of where she was going, stopping to sniff every little tree and bush that caught her attention. Not that I minded, Rose would go on her own path, and I'm sure that whatever she decides to do with her life, she will succeed at. Of course, now I had to check out this Paul guy she seemed to be falling for. Rose may have said that it wasn't that serious, but I knew she was lying. The way she and Paul looked at each other, it was almost nauseating. It was like nothing in the world mattered but the one they were staring at. Honestly, there are many things more important than love. School, for one, and the church, and family, and work, were all higher on the list of important things than love. Then again, I didn't have that much experience with love. Maybe once you get that true, deep love that only comes along once in your life, that love becomes more important than anything else. Personally, I didn't have much experience in that area. Sure, I've had boyfriends, but none of them really lasted long. It was difficult trying to find someone I could meet on both an intellectual and emotional level.

"Oh, well" I said out-loud to my airy bedroom "I guess I'll find someone eventually, but now its time to work" and with that I hopped out of bed, and went off to shower and finish my applications.

A/N: Alright! I'm back! I know this was a short chapter, but I'm posting another one in a minute, because I wrote one really big chapter, and I kind of felt like splitting it up into a few smaller chapter for your reading ease. Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Your Truly


	7. Chapter 6 Rose's Plan

A/N: See, told you I would upload the next chapter in a minute! Anywho, hope you enjoy! Here we have Rose's devious plan to get Serena back into the dating game. Let me know what you think!

**Chapter 6 – Rose's Plan**

"So I was thinking" I said to Paul later the next day, while we were eating lunch in my living room while watching old Transformers re-runs, "Serena needs a summer fling"

"Does she now?" Paul asked, slightly more interested in the animated robots fighting than in my sister's love life "Do you really think she wants us meddling in her personal life?"

"Of course she does, silly" I replied "I mean, she hasn't been in a relationship since her senior year of high school, and she's almost a sophomore in college"

"That really isn't that long Rose. I mean, before you I hadn't had a girlfriend since I had changed, and that was like two years ago" He said, a look of sadness creeping into his expressive eyes "She wasn't too fond of my sudden lack of time to spend with her because of the patrols. Not that she knew about the patrols. We are only allowed to tell family and imprints, and I knew she wasn't my imprint. Especially since you are" and with that last realization that I was his, forever and always, the sadness completely vanished from his chocolate eyes, and he leaned down to kiss me gently without moving from my current position curled up at his side, my head in the slight dip where lower shoulder met chest when his arm was raised from his side, like it was now, draped over my shoulders.

"Yeah well in O'Connell time a year and a half is like forever, and its time for Serena to have a new boyfriend. I'm not saying anything serious, just a little fling over the summer, to get her in the groove for all the new hot college boys in Seattle" I said once we separated. "So," I continued after a small pause to finish my sandwich, "Do you know any college guys who might be interested? They have to be tall, don't forget. My sister is a giant" I looked at Paul while he thought, and a look dawned upon his chiseled face that made me think he had thought of someone.

"Well, there is this one guy I know. He grew up in Forks, and he's going to be a junior next fall at Stanford, in California. He's probably going to be in town for most of the summer, you know small-town people, they never really leave. " He grinned that toothy grin I had grown to love, and continued, "He's a pretty smart guy, tall too. Played basketball at Forks High, I think he still plays intramural at Stanford"

"Sounds cool, what's his name?"

"Michael Callaghan. I think she'll like him" Paul had gotten to know Serena pretty well over the last week or so, since the two of us were very unusual sisters, and actually liked hanging out with each other, especially cooking, which Paul certainly appreciated. We were always cooking up new things together, with my eager boyfriend as the guinea pig for our dishes.

"Mmm, a little Irishman have we? Serena should like that, she likes staying within the island. Most of her boyfriends were Irish." I nodded appreciatively at his heritage.

"You know, I'm a little Irish too" Paul said, "on my mother's side, she said she had a grandfather named Sean MacMillan. That's where I get my lovely pale skin from" at that last statement I knew he was lying, and accused him of such. "No really! Have you ever seen me next to Jacob? He's much darker than I am."

"You liar" I accused him again "You and Jake have the exact same skin tone!"

"Are you saying all Native Americans have exactly the same skin color? I find that a little racist, Miss O'Connell. I should tell your parents" The mischief in his eyes was obvious, and I gently slapped his shoulder, careful not to make a repeat of that first night. My hand had recovered, fortunately, and I was not willing to repeat the experience of slapping the brick wall of my boyfriend's body.

"Let's just focus on the task at hand, ok? Serena meeting Mike." I retorted.

"Hey Serena, guess what?" Rose asked me, plopping down onto my bed face-first.

"What?" I asked distractedly. I was sitting at my desk, filling out an internship application.

" Paul and I are going to the diner tonight to get burgers, and you're coming" She said matter-of-factly, checking her nails idly "And you are going to meet Paul's friend Michael. He's going to be a junior at Stanford, and he's super hot, and super smart." At that I spun around in my swivel chair to face her

"What? Umm, Rose, I'm really not looking for a boyfriend right now, I'm too busy, with school coming up, and finding an internship, and work." I worked part time at the local book store, making a little pocket money for the upcoming school year "I really don't have the time to date" I continued, a slightly panicked expression spreading across my face. The truth was, I really wasn't ready for a boyfriend. My last couple of boyfriends had disappointed me so much, I had lost faith in the male population of the world, and I wasn't ready to be disappointed again. As I briefly traced an old scar on the outside of my wrist, I reminisced about the last boyfriend I had had. Jimmy Smith was tall, good-looking, one of the smartest people in my senior class, and a complete ass. Unfortunately, I had been too blinded by how perfect he seemed otherwise to notice that while he was nice enough to me when we were together, he was a complete snob about everything. "It has to be perfect" he would say. And I could never please him, as much as I tried. Needless to say, it hadn't ended well. After five months of dating, I finally came to my senses, and saw him for who he truly was. It had been difficult trusting anyone after that, mostly because I didn't trust myself to see who they really were. I was afraid of making that same mistake again with anyone. I had immersed myself in my classes, and I didn't really open up to anyone new. The only person I had really trusted, besides Rose, was Taylor Kim, my best friend since fifth grade. I had always been open to her, and that never changed. Right now she was staying with her family in Korea for most of the summer. She was coming up to stay with me in Forks for the last week, before heading back to D.C. to begin her second year at St. Mary's College in Maryland.

"Hello, earth to Serena" I heard Rose say in a sing-song voice, and slight hint of exasperation creeping into her musical tone. I snapped back into the present

"Oh, sorry. What were you saying?"

"I was saying, its been like forever since you've had a boyfriend, and besides, its not like I'm setting you up for anything serious, just a nice summer fling to get you back into the dating groove for college in September." She seemed mildly exasperated with me, but Rose had always been an impatient person, ever since she was little. "So come on. Put on something hot, but casual, and be ready by six. That's when we Paul is picking us up." And with that, she was gone, flown out my room to go get ready for our double date. Sighing, I got up off my chair, and wandered over to my closet. Rifling through my clothes, I repeated in my head, _hot, but casual._ I settled for a pair of tan Capri's that I knew mad my ass look good, a maroon beater, and a short-sleeved grey hoodie. I threw the selected items onto my bed, and went to shower.

A/N: Review! I want your opinions!! They are vital to me improving as a writer!


	8. Chapter 7 The Date

**Author's Note: So, here we are! The long awaited date scene! Sorry for the long wait, my muse has been rather lazy as of late. And I have been a little preoccupied with college. Well, onwards then! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I haven't written this already, I do not own Twilight or it's characters, just the plot, and the O'Connell family. They are all mine. Oh, and Toby. Besides that, I am but a poor college student.**

**Chapter 7- The Double Date**

"Damn Serena! When I said hot but casual, I did put emphasis on the hot, but not that much!" I exclaimed, watching my sister walk down the stairs to the front door, where Paul and I were waiting. Serena stopped in her tracks, a look of sudden self-consciousness frozen on her face.

"Is it too much?" She said softly, nervously looking down, making sure she was wearing the outfit she had picked out. The outfit really went well together, and the scant makeup she had put on only highlighted her features. Just a little black eyeliner and some lip-gloss, and her hair was in a loose half-ponytail, gentle waves falling down her back, very similar to the way I had my unruly curls. But since she had put her hair up, a few strands of her layered hair had fallen down to frame her face nicely. I swelled in pride at my sister's success at the task I had set before her.

"No! You look amazing! And its just enough!" I exclaimed, a proud smile on my features. Her face lit up.

"Alright then! If the two beautiful ladies in front of me would like, its time to go" Paul said enthusiastically, wrapping his warm arm around my waist, tugging gently. I laughed, grabbing my sister's arm as Paul led us to the car.

"Do we really have to take your truck Paul?" Serena asked. "It would be more logical to let me drive the Vue, its bigger, and more fuel efficient, than your F150." I quickly cut in, because I knew that Serena made sense, and Paul would agree to her suggestion.

"Yeah, but if you drive, Mike can't take give you ride home! Unless you want ME to drive the Vue." I saw the look of horror cross her face when she thought of anyone besides herself driving her baby. The look of horror was quickly replaced by her thinking face, which she wore the majority of the time.

"Wait, why does he have to drive me home? Aren't the three of us going back to the house together?" She asked, suspicion dawning on her delicate features.

"He has to drive you home so he can walk you to the door!" I exclaimed. Seeing her quizzical face return, I elaborated "If he walks you to the door he can kiss you! Duh!" My sister's face reddened at the thought of her kissing a boy, and I giggled at her expression. It was priceless.

"I guess we can take the Ford" She said quietly, inspecting her toes. I whooped in victory, punching my fist in the air.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, earning a startled look from Serena.

"Can we go now?" Paul whined, pulling me gently.

"Totally" I replied, a satisfied grin plastered on my face.

The drive to the diner was short, and as Paul drove into the parking lot I spotted what must be Mike leaning casually forward against the railing separating the ramp to the door from the parking lot. He was dressed nice, a clean, pressed light-blue checked button-down shirt and a pair of nice jeans. I quickly checked his shoes, a pair of new-looking Adidas sneakers, and nodded slightly in approval.

"He'll do, right Serena?" I asked my sister quietly, so that Paul could pretend to not hear as we walked up him. As Paul gave him one of those manly high-five, handshake-hug things, she answered breathily,

"Definitely". I smiled to myself, glad that I had arranged this. As the two of us walked up to the guys, Paul took the liberty of introducing us,

"Mike, this is my girlfriend, Rose, and this is her sister Serena" He said. I noticed Mike's eyes widen when he took in all 5 feet, 10 inches of Serena. _Good, _I thought to myself, _polite enough not to stare, but confident enough to take a good look. _I noticed the instant attraction between the two, and smiled inwardly at my brilliance.

"Alright, let's eat! I'm starved!" I said enthusiastically, after the appropriate greetings had been said. Paul nodded enthusiastically, grabbing me by the hand and leading the way inside the diner, while Mike politely held the door open for Serena, following her inside.

The evening progressed exactly as I had planned. Mike was perfect for Serena. Charming, intelligent, athletic, funny, and a little on the geeky side, he was exactly what Serena needed for a relationship. I saw the sparks flying between them, especially when they got into a heated argument over who should take over for Batman in some comic book they were both reading. "The Battle for the Cowl" or something like that, I really didn't have a clue, and neither did Paul, so we started our own argument about the best topping for French fries, once our food had arrived. My personal favorite was vanilla milkshake-dipped fries, and Paul was adamant about keeping it old school and using ketchup. Eventually Mike and Serena noticed our apparent disregard for their debate, so they joined ours, Serena fervently agreeing with Paul, and Mike coming in completely out of left field with

"Wait, you put what on your French fries?!" I exclaimed loudly

"Vinegar, it's really the only way to go" Mike replied nonchalantly, proving his point by asking our waitress for a bottle of vinegar.

"Seriously? How did you discover that you could put VINEGAR on French fries?" I countered, a clearly puzzled look on my face. Before Mike could answer, however, Serena answered my question, as per usual.

"Actually, the practice of putting vinegar on French fries as a condiment is very popular in the U.K. also, in England, they call them 'chips' instead of French fries, so I would assume Mike either has been to England before, or knows someone from there". Mike nodded, looking impressed.

"Actually, my mom lived in London for a few years for college, and picked up the practice there, and taught me about it when I was little" he replied

"Wait" I asked "If in England they call fries 'chips', then what do they call chips?"

"Crisps" Serena and Mike answered in unison, both of them blushing and looking away when they realized what had happened. The evening progressed well, animated conversation dominating the meal, and when we finished and paid the bill (Mike treated, isn't he a gentleman?), Paul and I made our exit, saying we were going over to Sam and Emily's place, the guys were planning a horror movie marathon. Mike, further proving his gentlemanly-ness, kindly offered to drive Serena back to the house, and of course she said yes. As Paul and I left, I gave Serena a supportive wink, turning back to Paul before I got to see her face turn red.


	9. Chapter 8 Sparks in the Air?

**Author's note: Hey guys, here's the next chapter.*Hides sheepishly* I know I haven't been updating on a regular basis at all, and I do apologize. Alright, in this chapter we get a little drama and suspense! Maybe. We will have to see. OK, enjoy! Oh, and Mike is of my own making, I remember someone asking me about that a while ago, it's not Mike Newton, its Callaghan! Lol ok get to reading! Please. **

**Disclaimer: All recognizable themes and characters belong to their proper owners, mainly Stephenie Meyer, I don't claim any of them, except the plot and my own original characters. (Figured I should put that in there to be safe). **

**Chapter 8- Sparks in the Air?**

As we drove back to my house, we chatted about school. Mike was a Criminal Justice major, and was also working to get a minor in International Studies. He said he wanted to work for the FBI. "Hopefully" he added.

"That sounds like good work, helping rid the world of crime" I replied, honestly impressed with him. He seemed like he would be good for it. From what I could tell of him, he seemed like he had a really good set of morals, and just the right amount of patriotism. Basically, he was absolutely sweet, and wonderful, and I was very attracted to him. As we pulled into the house, I invited him to come on for a bit, since the evening was still young. He agreed, and I gave him a tour, ending with my room.

"So, here it is, my room!" I said enthusiastically. I had told him earlier about my prized Batman possessions that I kept in my bedroom, and he had been really excited to see them. As we walked into my room, I saw him look around, taking it all in. My walls were painted a pale spring green, and on the hardwood floor I had a Japanese-style bamboo mat taking up a good portion. My desk was tucked into the far corner, and in the opposite corner was my bed. The main feature of my room, however, was the ceiling-high bookcase taking up the rest of the left wall that didn't have my desk against it. In this bookcase, however, there were no books. All of my books were in the family bookcases in my parent's office/den thing. The only thing remotely book-like was the two shelves full of comic books. Taking up the other five shelves were my prized possessions, my Batman memorabilia. Everything you could imagine, from old-school lunchboxes and figurines to flasks and stainless-steel, razor-sharp Batarangs. I even had a shelf entirely dedicated to Batmobiles, from the original 1930's to an exact, to-scale replica of the Tumbler from the newest Batman movies with Christian Bale. Not all of my stuff was the expensive kind, either. I had a half a shelf designated for action figures from the new Batman kid's cartoon, "The Brave and the Bold", and they were all open, too. I didn't really buy into that whole "keep it mint condition!" crap. These things were made to be used, and played with, and I was gonna play with them, damn it! I turned my attention back to Mike, and noticed that he was slack-jawed; his eyes glazed over like some fanboy at his first comic-book convention. I went over to the book shelf, propping my arm on it carefully.

"Like what you see?" I asked, my voice soft. His eyes re-focused on me, and he smirked, yes, _smirked_, a corner of his mouth curving up, an almost predatory glint in his eye.

"Oh, most definitely" He replied, closing the gap between us in two strides of his long legs. His gaze softened slightly, and his hand went up to cup my cheek. His lips were soft, but firm and I could feel just a touch of stubble. I kissed him back eagerly, and he pressed his body into mine, gently leaning me against the bookcase. We stayed like that for a few minutes, gently kissing, his hands migrating from the sides of my face to settle at my hips, my arms leaning on the tops of his shoulders. The height difference was only a few inches, so he didn't have to duck too much. Later, he would tell me that was one of the first things he thought when he met me, that he wouldn't have to lean down very far to kiss me, and how refreshing that had been. Right now, though, he pulled away gently, bringing my hands down from atop his broad shoulders to lace his fingers through mine, holding our arms out between us, a silly, almost shy grin on his face. My grin was almost identical, but a little more shy than silly.

"So" I said quietly, blushing slightly

"So" He repeated, "Its getting a little late, I should probably go"

"Oh, OK" I said, my grin diminishing. I really didn't want him to go.

"When can I see you next?" He asked. My expression brightened, and a full smile spread on my face.

"You mean, you want to see me again?" I asked. God, for someone with an I.Q. high enough to be almost a genius, I sure could ask some dumb questions. Mike laughed gently, bringing his lips to mine in a fiery kiss. Once we separated, panting slightly for breath, our foreheads still touching, he said,

"That answer your question?" I smiled, nodding my head slightly. We left my room hand-in-hand, not speaking, just being. Once we reached his car, he pulled me to him in a tight hug, my head fitting comfortable in the crook of his neck. He kissed my hair gently, and murmured to me that he would call me tomorrow, and we would do something. I pulled my head back and nodded, kissing him gently on the lips. And with that, he was gone. I thought I heard a wolf howling in the night, and the sound, for some reason, I found oddly comforting. I walked back into the house in pure bliss, my head filled with the sound of the lone wolf howling and the feel of Michael's lips on mine.

Meanwhile…

During the drive to Sam and Emily's we were silent, not feeling the need for conversation, just listening to the radio and feeling the warm summer air blowing through the truck's windows. I thought back on the double-date, and hoping everything was going well down at Serena's end. She certainly looked happy walking with Mike over to his car. Of course, that may have been because of his car, a jet-black Acura TL. The only thing he had added to the car, externally at least, was a silver outline of the Batman symbol on his rear bumper, which I'm sure made Serena crazy happy. I wonder if she's shown him her bookcase o' Batman, as I call it. As my thoughts wandered, I thought back to the day Paul told me he was a werewolf. He still had yet to show me his wolf form, and I had been casually bringing it up for the past couple days. Every time I brought it up, he said that when the opportunity presented itself, he would show me. I decided right then that tonight, the "opportunity would present itself". Once we got to Sam and Emily's, I whispered to him to come with me outside. Once we got outside I briskly walked the few yards to the tree line, and into the woods. He followed me, a confused expression on his face.

"Rose, what's going on? Why are you taking me here?" Paul asked, worry coloring his words. I didn't answer him, and once we got far enough into the woods that I was fairly sure the pack couldn't here us, I stopped and turned around to face him.

"Look Paul, its nothing serious" I smiled at him, but he looked no less concerned. "I mean, I just want you to show me your wolf form" I almost whispered those last words, but I knew he could hear me. His face turned angry

"Rose, how many times have I told you? Its too dangerous! I could hurt you! If you got hurt because of me" he looked crestfallen as he considered the possibility "I don't know what I would do with myself. Did Emily ever tell you how she got her scars? She was near Sam the first time he phased, and he almost killed her! I'm not willing to take that risk, darling. I love you too much" as he finished his tirade, I saw a glimpse of who Paul was before we met. He was so angry, not at me, but at himself for being who he was, a werewolf. I knew he sometimes thought himself a monster, and I hated when he did that.

"Paul, your not a monster, and your not going to hurt me. I know about Emily's scars, she told me last week. But babe, that was a long time ago. It was Sam's first time phasing, he couldn't control himself. And from you and the others have told me, at this point you are just as in control of yourself in wolf form as you are in human form. I know you" I walked up to him, cupping his cheek with my hand "and I know you would never, ever hurt me. But this is a big part of you, and I want to see you, the other you. I want to know everything about you, and to do that, I need to see you phase. I want to see you phase. I want to see this part of you that you hide so carefully from me. " Tears were brimming both our eyes at this point, and he looked resigned. He sighed, and gently pecked me on the lips.

"Fine, Rose, you win. " and with that he stepped back, unbuttoning his cutoffs. "I just want you to remember, you asked for this" and with that he stepped out of his jeans. I took all of him in, him in all his naked glory, standing in the moonlit clearing. He took a deep breath, and looked me in the eyes. "I love you" he whispered, and then he exploded.


	10. Author's Note sorry y'all

Author's Note:

Hey guys, I know everyone hates these, but I just figured you would want to be informed. I have been debating this for a while, as you can tell by the lack of updates, and I don't know if I should keep going with this story. I can't really see where its going. Now, if you really want me to continue it, I will, but I want your feedback. If you don't tell me, how can I know? And don't worry, even if I decide to discontinue, I'll write a final chapter tying everything together, so that some of you, at least, can get some closure. Thank you to everyone who has read this, and taken the time to put me on their Alerts and Favorites, I really appreciate it. Now, this doesn't mean I'm saying goodbye to the world of fanfiction, I have another Twilight story in the works, but its going to be a little different. If you would like a little preview, review this story, or PM me. Thanks guys and gals!

Sincerely,

Simmy


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